Author: Robin Houghton
Dyson vs poets
This morning I enjoyed this response to James Dyson’s dismissal of poetry… Here’s the article in Saturday’s Independent that inspired it. ‘What’s the use of poetry’ seems to be a classic left-brain-dominant response to something it can’t hope to understand. I wish people would give their right brains a little more leeway. (Image credit:Read more ⟶
Are anonymous submissions a good thing?
I came across this article recently, in Anon magazine, setting out the opinions of three writers as to whether anonymous submissions to magazines were a good idea. I rather like Kathleen Jamie‘s conclusion, that actually by creating a so-called ‘level playing field’ for all poets, regardless of reputation, a magazine like Anon (championing the causeRead more ⟶
Mimi Khalvati on vowel music and editing with form
Our last workshop of the year with Mimi Khalvati on Saturday, and the subjects of vowel sounds and form were big topics. Here’s an extract from my notes, on the things that struck home for me this month. Vowel music – paying attention to the vowel sounds of words (NB not how the sounds areRead more ⟶
A feast of first lines
First lines. Ack! It’s worse than a job interview. You have 2 seconds to make an impression. Or something like that. Do you find yourself going back to the first line and re-writing because it’s just not strong enough? And as a reader, do you ever read the first line and immediately your mind saysRead more ⟶
Good news, and a few doubts
What a great week. An excellent Bonfire Night, President Obama re-elected, and then I get an email with the subject line ‘Congratulations from Poetry News‘ and find my ‘absent’ themed poem will be in the December edition. Ah, where would we be without small victories? Because I admit I am STUPIDLY excited. It’s my firstRead more ⟶
Where were the ‘Best of British’ poems first published?
Poet friend of mine and soon-to-be-blogger Jo Grigg mentioned she had been reading The Best British Poetry 2012 so I invited her to write about it here. It is Jo’s first guest blog post on Poetgal. The second volume of this British version of a longstanding US anthology has now thundered through my letterbox. Hurrah! ItsRead more ⟶
A triptych of poetry blogs
I love the way you can come across a poetry blog that’s new to you and then suddenly two more jump out – just like a row of Routemasters. So here’s the first of what may become a regular feature – a triptych of enjoyable poetry blogs. Let me know if you have any recommendationsRead more ⟶
Poetry Day at Jo’s
Every now and then, poet friend Jo generously offers up her lovely, sunny top floor for a few of us to have a poetry day. On Saturday there were four of us, the smallest group we’ve had so far, but it was lovely – we all brought along whatever we are reading at the moment,Read more ⟶
It’s my birthday! Hurrah! I think
Children love having birthdays. I quite enjoyed them myself until I got to about 30, then I went through a period of getting a bit grumpy about the whole birthday thing. But these days I don’t mind them at all. So far today: Woke up with migraine that had been brewing up all night –Read more ⟶